Global semiconductor sales jump 5% in November

PORTLAND--Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose 5 percent in November over October of 2003, and were also up 25.7 percent in that month from the like period a year ago, according to a new report from Pacific Crest Securities Inc. today (December 31, 2003).

This represents the largest revenue increase for the month of November since 1999, according to Pacific Crest, an investment banking firm in Portland. Average selling prices (ASPs) for semiconductors also rose 9 percent in November, which represents the highest increase for that month since 1995, said Michael McConnell, an analyst with Pacific Crest, in the report.

Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $15.4 billion in October 2003, a 6.8 percent increase from $14.4 billion in September, and a 23.3 percent rise from October of 2002, according to figures from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), which were released earlier this month. With the October 2003 gain, the strongest since 1990, industry revenue has grown 16.4 percent in the year to date (see December 1 story).

The SIA is expected to officially release the worldwide chip sales for November in the next week or so, but it appears that Pacific Crest beat the trade group to the punch and issued the results.

In the report issued by Pacific Crest, McConnell suggested that the current IC recovery is not a false start. Chip inventories remain lean and fab-capacity utilization hit 98.8 percent in November, he said.

It was a mixed bag on the product front. On a rolling three-month month-to-month basis, microprocessor units grew 4 percent in November, but ASPs fell 0.3 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 3 percent in November, according to the report.

On a year-to-year basis, microprocessor units grew 10 percent in November and ASPs jumped 12 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 23 percent, according to the report.

On a rolling three-month month-to-month basis, DSP units grew 3 percent in November, but ASPs fell 0.5 percent in the month. On a year-to-year basis, DSP units grew 49 percent, but ASPs fell 16 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 25 percent, according to the report.

On a rolling three-month month-to-month basis, analog chip units grew 3 percent in November, but ASPs jumped only 0.5 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 4 percent in November, according to the report.

On a year-to-year basis, analog chip units grew 25 percent in November but ASPs fell 1 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 23 percent, according to the report.

On a rolling three-month month-to-month basis, flash memory chip units grew 7 percent in November and ASPs jumped 5 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 11 percent in November, according to the report.

On a year-to-year basis, flash units grew 46 percent in November and ASPs jumped 9 percent. This led to revenue growth in the sector of 59 percent, according to the report.